


Culture Shock

by Tah the Trickster (TahTheTrickster)



Series: My Hero. [11]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:25:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4484539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TahTheTrickster/pseuds/Tah%20the%20Trickster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter is full of celebrations for man and mer alike. Lydia, though, is more concerned with the midwinter festival. Her Thane is more interested in the Khajiit celebration of the solstice. They've agreed to attend both together, but neither has any idea what to expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Another three-parter, other two chaps to follow. ENJOY THE GAY FURRY HELL. (Rating for a later chap)

"Midwinter?" Dar'Zahyla echoed, perplexed.

"The celebration, yes. It's next week," I said. I shifted her helmet in my hands and continued oiling it down.

She cocked her head, brow furrowed. "Alright." She still didn't seem to understand where I was going with this.

"It's... Something of a big deal," I continued haltingly, looking down at her helm instead of watching her. "It's a big yearly celebration of the Divines, the festival usually lasts several days..."

"Interesting," was all Dar'Zahyla said.

I grit my teeth. _Dense._ "I wondered if we might turn back for Whiterun. By your leave, I'd like to attend the festival at home."

"Oh!" She sat up, finally understanding. "Ah, yes. Certainly. This one will gladly accompany you back to Whiterun. Khajiit will find something else with which to occupy herself during that time." Well... Almost understanding.

I put her helmet down and looked up at her. "I was hoping you'd go with me," I said, hoping my voice was as casual as I tried to sound. "The celebration is always more fun as a couple."

Her ears snapped to attention. "Couple—?"

I coughed sharply, suddenly realizing my phrasing. "No I—not _that_ kind of couple, just..." I cleared my throat again, feeling my face warm more than I could blame on the heat of the fire. Dar'Zahyla's shoulders shook lightly as she tried not to laugh. "It's bad luck to go alone," I said hastily. "That's all."

"Very well," Dar'Zahyla agreed graciously, voice quivering with mirth. "Khajiit will attend this with you." I mentally sighed in relief at having that out of the way. "On one condition."

I looked up again, brow quirked at her. "And what might that be?"

Dar'Zahyla leaned forward, nearer the fire that burned between us, resting her elbows on her crossed legs. "Khajiit has little stock in the Divines of the Nords, yes?" I nodded, though I was uncertain whether it was rhetorical or not. She'd spoken at length to me before about the differences in our religions, but I didn't really understand her own. "Khajiit have no 'midwinter' celebration. However, not long after, there is a celebration of the moons, yes?"

I blinked. "Is there?"

"The winter solstice, yes? The shortest day of the year. The time when the moons hold the most power, the time when Jode and Jone bestow blessings upon Khajiit."

"I see." I didn't.

Dar'Zahyla fixed me with a lazy smirk. "This one will accompany you to your midwinter celebration, but only if you also accompany Dar'Zahyla to the celebration of the solstice."

I bit the inside of my cheek, uncertain. "Where is it?"

She merely smiled. "Loose lips, yes? Khajiit must have their secrets in this cold and hard land. Dar'Zahyla will take you there."

"Is it just the two of us?"

"Of course not. That would not be a celebration," she said dryly. "That would be a typical evening." I snorted.

"Fair enough. Am I going to be allowed there though? Isn't it just... A Khajiit thing?"

My Thane rolled her eyes. " _Yes,_ but you will be a guest of Dar'Zahyla. You will be fine, my moon. Bad luck to come alone, yes?" She winked at me and I felt heat creep up my neck.

"Fine," I said, shaking my head and setting her helmet to the side. "Deal." I flung the rag at her, and it landed with a damp thwack against her tunic. "Now go to sleep. It'll take a week of travel to even get to Whiterun."


	2. Midwinter

"Khajiit is uncertain of how well these... _Nord_ clothes fit her."

I smothered a smile as Dar'Zahyla reluctantly edged down the Breezehome stairs. As she'd said, the clothes I'd gotten for her—while they were pretty much in her size—weren't fitted correctly just yet. The blue quilted tunic was twisted at her hips, and the brown fur cloak about her shoulders hung crookedly. Her fur-lined cap and soft leather boots, at least, were still passable.

"Here, let me," I said, reaching out to finish straightening up her clothes. The Dragonborn obediently held still, allowing me to tug her belt and clothes straight again. "There!"

Dar'Zahyla gently cleared her throat, plucking a bit of lint from the hem of her sleeve. "How does it look?"

I stepped back and cocked my head. The long belted tunic clung to her broad shoulders and powerful abdomen; the deep blue color lit up her green eyes spectacularly. I gave a faint smile. "You look fetching, my Thane."

She scoffed at that, though she couldn't help a little smile, herself. "This one cannot help but feel that you are merely trying to make her feel better, but Khajiit will accept this compliment." Dar'Zahyla grinned then. "Dar'Zahyla does wish to remark that you look lovely as well."

Her reply came unexpectedly, and it was all I could do to tone my surprise down to a quick cough. My own clothes, while finer than most that I owned, were still fairly utilitarian—quilted brown fabric, mostly. To my irritation, I felt my face going warm. Dar'Zahyla smirked. "You are incorrigible," I told her. She merely shrugged, still looking altogether pleased with herself. I turned towards the door. "Come on, we're going to be late."

"Lead on; Khajiit will follow."

Jarl Balgruuf was already delivering his traditional midwinter speech before the fire lighting by the time we got to the town's square. The usual merchant carts had been pushed back to make room, and the citizens of Whiterun gathered eagerly in a circle about the pile of kindling.

"—and though the bitter winds of winter and the longest nights of the year come forth," he bellowed; "though this civil war ravages our lands and people; though Alduin comes to bring dragons into our lands again; the Nords are a mighty people!" A rumble of "hear, hear!" swept through the crowd. Dar'Zahyla just looked perplexed. "We are the true children of Skyrim," he went on, "and nothing will stand in the way of our lives and our culture. I see an end soon to these frozen days and long nights!" There was a scattering of cheers. "I see an end soon to this civil war!" A second, louder, cheer of approval. "And now, with the Dragonborn again in our midst, I see an end soon to Alduin's wrath!" Everyone cheered then. Dar'Zahyla, mortified, simply hid behind me, looking like she wished she would melt into the frozen soil. I patted her cheek. "And with the end of our trials, I too see an end soon to this winter."

His speech now complete, the Jarl gestured at his wizard, who (looking much like this task was beneath him in every way), set the mound of lumber alight. Another great cheer went up; the celebration was on. Dar'Zahyla still looked rather perplexed at the whole ordeal, but applauded politely nonetheless.

A handful of bards grabbed their instruments and struck up a cheerful tune; merchants beat a hasty retreat back to their carts, heavy-laden with specialties for the holidays; children ran amok... Midwinter was always such a pleasant time of year.

Dar'Zahyla stood on her toes to speak into my ear: "This one does not quite understand the purpose behind the bonfire." She had to all but shout to make herself heard over the music and crowd and fire.

I dipped my head to reply, "It's because the solstice is nearby. The celebration goes as long as the fire stays lit. Supposedly during the first celebration, it kept Men alive during the longest night of the year, so it's a tradition now."

She gave a soundless "ah," as though she understood; she still looked bemused.

Before I could get a word in edgewise, one of the children careened right into Dar'Zahyla's legs. She grinned up at the startled Dragonborn. "Tag," the child shouted before bolting off again, "you're it!" Dar'Zahyla looked questioningly at me. I waved her off to go play; she grinned and half-ran towards the gaggle of children, who promptly shrieked in surprise and delight, and scattered.

I wasn't sure what it was, but Dar'Zahyla was always a child magnet. It seemed like with every city we went to, at least a couple of children wanted to play tag or hide and seek with her. And she nearly always obliged, too. It was cute, I decided.

One of the guardsmen I'd grown up with tapped my shoulder, then, drawing my attention off Dar'Zahyla. I spoke with him only briefly, noticing and refusing to acknowledge the amulet of Mara about his neck. He finally took the hint. He pressed a small wrapped package into my hand, awkwardly wished me well, and left to patrol the festivities again.

"Who was that?" Dar'Zahyla asked behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. She made even less noise than usual when not wearing her armor.

"You scared me," I half-scolded, pressing a hand to my chest.

"Apologies." She looked as unrepentant as ever. "But, who was that?"

I shook my head. "Just someone I grew up with," I said. "I think he was trying to propose and lost his nerve. Again." Dar'Zahyla looked deeply offended at the implication. I raised a brow. "What?"

"Nothing." I stared at her in disbelief and she glanced away. "Khajiit does not understand the purpose in proposing without mutual interest. Unless...?" She gave me an odd look. It took a moment to click.

"Oh— _ha,_ no, no I'm not interested," I assured her with a snort. "Besides, I wouldn't really make for much of a housewife. I've got a Khajiit with a deathwish I need to keep my eye on first." That soothed her, apparently, because she did laugh at that.

"Dar'Zahyla has no such wish," she said with a grin. "Though she will not argue if you prefer her company." Her ear twitched under her cap. "How long do these festivities last?"

I shrugged. "Until the fire burns out," I said. "That could take anywhere from a few hours to a day."

She wrinkled her nose. "A fire this size could last many days tended, yes?"

"You're not allowed to tend it. It's bad luck if you have to tend it to keep it from going out too soon."

Dar'Zahyla shook her head. "You Nords," she said dryly, "are a superstitious lot." She offered her hand to me before I could protest her statement. "Come, Khajiit is hungry," she said with a grin, "and the sweets smell divine."

I laughed. Despite her frightening-looking teeth and long canines, Dar'Zahyla would almost always choose sugar over more savory foods. She claimed it was related to her upbringing, though was never quite able to put it in words that I'd understand.

True to form, Dar'Zahyla loaded up on sweets and some candied meats while I stuck to the more traditional roasts and ales. Dar'Zahyla was endlessly pleased with her selection, getting sugar stuck to her whiskers and the short fur on her chin. The ale had loosened me up enough to chuckle and reach over to dust her clean. She just gave me that idiotic little smile of hers that was just infuriatingly endearing. She was going to drive me utterly mad one of these days.

The Khajiit tapped my shoulder, gathering my full attention again, and nodded at some of the young couples lining up by the bonfire. "What is this?" she asked, sounding rather as though she expected something utterly nonsensical. "More Nord traditions?"

I snorted and leaned back against my chair. "Yes, actually." I elbowed her when she rolled her eyes. "It's for good luck!" I protested, laughing as she rubbed her ribs where I'd struck. "Couples jump over the fire together for luck in making a family in the new year."

"Yes, well, there is a reason Khajiit would not participate in such a tradition," she snorted. I gave her a quizzical look. "Singed fur. Not a pleasant smell, yes?"

I laughed. "Fair enough."

After the couples' displays, the dancing began. Dar'Zahyla looked somewhere between amused and mortified—clearly such displays weren't quite the usual Khajiit celebration of midwinter. I chuckled and stood, offering her my hand. She'd have balked if it were possible, but very reluctantly allowed herself to be tugged up.

"This one is afraid she does not dance very well," she said with a grimace.

"The ale's been flowing for hours," I said, smirking and tugging her closer. "Nobody will notice. Just follow my lead."

She looked vaguely insulted at being made to follow, but complied and rested a clawed hand at my shoulder. I felt her powerful back muscles twitch under my hand, and she finally settled into a disgruntled sort of relaxation, allowing herself to be led.

"This one hopes you know how ridiculous this must look," Dar'Zahyla told me under her breath.

"We have an active Talos priest who stands on the corner and yells the same thing at every passerby," I replied, deadpan. "This is hardly the most ridiculous thing the people of Whiterun have seen." She snickered at that.

"By the way," she started, nearly stumbling when I turned her suddenly to avoid a couple too lost in each other's eyes to mind us. "There was one more Nord tradition you neglected to mention to Khajiit."

"Oh?" I let us turn slowly to a halt as the song ended. "Which would that be?"

She fumbled about in the pockets of her tunic briefly. "Giving gifts, yes?"

I blinked. "Oh." I grimaced slightly; having grown up an orphan, I wasn't really in the habit of midwinter gifts. I'd honestly near forgotten that people did that for people other than children or lovers. "It's mostly a tradition for children," I said—which was true, at least. "I didn't think to mention it."

"Yes? Well, regardless," she said, withdrawing her hand from her pocket, "this one procured for you a gift."

I'm sure I balked, then, as she opened her hand to reveal a silver necklace with a faceted emerald set into the center of the pendant. "My Thane, I..." I shook my head, at a loss momentarily. "I can't accept this, it must've cost a fortune."

"Nonsense," Dar'Zahyla said cheerfully, standing up on her toes to place the amulet about my neck. "Dar'Zahyla mined all the materials and crafted it herself, yes? Khajiit even enchanted it, though she admits her skill with that is not the greatest."

"Enchanted?"

She grinned broadly. "Khajiit will let you discover for yourself what the enchantment is."

My jaw worked for a moment, trying to find my words, and then I shook my head. "You are incorrigible," I told her again.

Her eyes glittered with mirth. "Ah, just wait until the solstice, yes? As you Nords say, you have not seen anything yet."


	3. Solstice

I had to admit, though they weren't practical, Khajiit formalwear _was_ pretty comfortable.

It'd taken her some serious bargaining with Ri'saad to get it for me at all—I couldn't understand a word of their hushed, growling words, but the look on his face said pretty clearly that he wasn't sure he approved. Whatever Dar'Zahyla had said to him worked, though, and now I was dressed in the deep emerald green budi (as she'd called it). It was a loose, silky garment, closed on one side but braided shut on the other, and tightly stitched with silver threading.

She'd also given me some loose golden bangles for my wrists—she'd offered to pierce my ears and wear golden hoops like hers, but I turned her down, insisting that the necklace she'd made me was plenty. In all honesty, the thought of having a needle jammed in my ear also made my stomach turn, but she didn't need to know that.

She trotted quickly down the steps of Breezehome, dressed in the bright red garments I'd seen her in before, grinning up a storm. "Good, good," she said cheerfully, tail twitching actively behind her, "you are ready to go, yes?"

"I'm pretty sure I'll freeze to death," I told her dryly, "but other than that, yes, I'm ready to go."

Dar'Zahyla merely scoffed. "Khajiit doubts that," she said. "Now, come along, yes? It is at least a five-hour journey."

"Five hours?" I echoed, startled. "Where in Tamriel are we going, Elsweyr?"

That teased a husky little chuckle out of her. "No," she said. "We are taking a carriage to Windhelm, and will ride out alone from there."

"Why Windhelm?"

"It is the closest a carriage will take us," Dar'Zahyla explained patiently. She took my hand in hers and gently tugged me towards the door. "Now—we go."

The ride was a fairly quiet one from my side of it. Our driver was mostly silence except to occasionally tell us how far we had left. Dar'Zahyla in the meanwhile cheerfully tried her damnedest to explain the importance of the moons to Khajiit culture—not that I quite understood it.

"This one," she was saying patiently, "was born under the lunar lattice of Masser's new phase and Secunda's waning phase, and thus is Suthay-raht. Many other Khajiit in Skyrim were born under the lattice of Masser's waxing phase and Secunda's full phase, and are Cathay. This one had a younger sister who was born under a waning Masser and a full Secunda—S'Arabhira was no bigger than a common fox!"

My brow furrowed and I leaned forward, bracing my forearms on my knees. "So, what, how you look is determined by the phases of the moon?" It sounded like a load of bullshit to me, but I'd already put my foot in my mouth about her culture once and wasn't inclined to do it again. She beamed at my evident understanding, and I knew I'd made the correct choice. "How does that even work?"

"There are two gods," she explained, taking a roll of paper and a charcoal stick from her pack. She sketched two circles, and labeled them both in hieroglyphs I couldn't even begin to make sense of. "Jode and Jone, the big and small moon gods. They were birthed from Fadomai against the will of Ahnurr, and were placed in the sky to guide her children from his wrath—is Khajiit boring you?" she interrupted wryly when I yawned.

"Not at all," I said, "this is just a long ride. Continue."

She shook her head, amused, and went back to her diagram. She went on to explain that another Khajiit goddess, Azurah, was the one who made the Khajiit, who were then punished by another goddess Nirni who cursed their lands and created the Bosmer, which was why the two races held so much animosity towards each other. I still didn't really understand, but I nodded and made approving and disapproving noises at the appropriate times.

"So you see," she finished up with a grin, crumpling the paper up into a ball, "the lunar lattice controls all Khajiit, from body to mind to spirit, and on the longest night of the year, Khajiit gather to celebrate the moons' power over us all. There are no traditions or such; it is merely a time of festivity, with much food and drink to enjoy and partake. It is fun; you will enjoy it."

"Sounds fun," I agreed.

The ride lasted only thirty minutes afterwards before we reached, and Dar'Zahyla purchased a horse for us to complete the remaining trip. However, seeing as she'd never ridden a horse before (nor even mounted one), I settled into the saddle myself and then yanked her up behind me. She looked embarrassed at being slung around like a child, but seemed content to hold me around the waist as I eased the sturdy beast into a decent pace.

Dar'Zahyla had to navigate us to where she wanted to go—a task I teased her relentlessly about—but eventually we began the rocky ascent to our destination: the shrine of Azura.

"I thought you said Azura and Azurah were different people," I commented as the horse slowed against the steep slope.

"They are," she said, her whiskers tickling my neck and ear. "But this was one of few places a number of Khajiit could congregate in celebration without guards arriving to shoo them out, yes?" I made a sympathetic noise, though I didn't really understand. It wasn't something I'd ever had to worry about. "Beyond this, it is one of the highest points in Skyrim. Fitting, as we come together to celebrate the lunar lattice, no?"

"Sure."

When we reached the mount's summit, a large fire pit was already lit and waiting. My brows lifted in surprise. I'd known about the three most common 'jiit caravans that wandered all over Skyrim peddling wares, so I'd expected a small gathering. But no, there were at least fifty Khajiit gathered, all in traditional Elsweyrian garb, and (I was pretty sure) every fur color and style imaginable. Many of the women had their manes braided and ears pierced like my Thane; the men rather tended to keep theirs long and free, or otherwise shorn altogether. At least one had shaved his into a tall line down the center of his head.

"Wow," I said absently.

"Hm?" she chirped into my ear.

"I think we're late," was all I said.

Dar'Zahyla chuckled. "Hardly. The celebration does not begin until sundown."

I led the horse to a nearby tree to tie him up. As I wound the leather straps about the trunk, a familiar-looking Khajiit approached us. Dar'Zahyla slid to the ground with a solid thump and greeted him with arms spread open. "Ri'saad," she greeted with a delighted purr. She switched to her native tongue in an instant: "Do jer vara?"

The two embraced, gently butting foreheads. "Jat, jat," he replied in an agreeable tone. His head lifted and he caught sight of me. His white brows rose. "Vara roj?"

Dar'Zahyla looked over her shoulder at me. She beamed back at the elder Khajiit. "Kah'jay ahziss," she purred. "Nak roj—Lydia."

My name amongst their Ta'agra chatter made me start, and I shyly approached the pair. Dar'Zahyla grasped my hand and tugged me closer, grinning broadly.

"This is she," Dar'Zahyla introduced in Nordic once more. "Lydia, this is Ri'saad. He is the one who gathers Khajiit for the celebration."

"Pleasure to meet you," I said, offering my hand out. He shook it politely.

"Lydia," he said, cordial as ever. "You will forgive my surprise. We do not have many... others who are interested in our rituals." A hint of a smile twitched at his whiskered mouth. "Khajiit would appreciate if you kept word of these celebrations a secret, yes?"

"Oh... Yes, of course," I agreed, bemused. Dar'Zahyla looked relieved. Ri'saad mirrored her look.

"Very good," he said, nodding. "Now, please—come have a seat with us. The celebrations are about to begin."

Dar'Zahyla and I took a seat together about the fire and quickly had wooden tankards passed to them. I took a small sip. Wine—extraordinarily sweet wine, but I supposed I should've expected that. My Thane purred softly into her cup and leaned into my shoulder.

When the sun began to set, Ri'saad stood and delivered a short speech in Ta'agra, which Dar'Zahyla quietly translated into my ear. It was little more than an exaltation of the Khajiit moon gods, followed by a benediction for their constant care with the lunar lattice. I sat in silence, joining in only to echo the occasional crowd-wide affirmation of "jat, jat."

Once Ri'saad had finished, the crowd lifted their cups and drank deeply. Then there was a flurry of motion as several smaller Khajiit began setting up spits over the fire to begin cooking meats and stews of several kinds. Dar'Zahyla grinned up at me.

"So," I said, turning to look at her again, "what exactly does a Khajiit celebration entail that I'm not supposed to mention to other people?"

Her eyes glimmered with mischief. "Crystal moonlight, yes?"

My brow furrowed. I'd never heard the term before, but I wasn't so naive that I couldn't put together what it meant. "Isn't that illegal in Skyrim?" It was rhetorical; I knew that it was.

Dar'Zahyla merely winked. "None here will speak if you do not," she said cheekily.

I tutted and returned to my cup. "What else goes on at a Solstice celebration, then?"

She shrugged and rested her head on my shoulder again. Her body heat felt nice against the thin, bitterly cold air. "Food and drink," she said. "Some songs, if they are desired."

"I suppose I shouldn't expect them to be in Nordic, huh?"

Dar'Zahyla chuckled against me. "My moon, you are lucky that Dar'Zahyla herself speaks Nordic."

True to her word, I wasn't sure I heard a single word of Nordic from anyone other than Dar'Zahyla, and even she spoke Ta'agra when not speaking directly to me.

I merely made myself comfortable and listened to the crowd. Ta'agra was an odd language, heavy and inflected, punctuated frequently with oddly feline trills and chirps. It was soothing, in its own way—and if I listened carefully I could almost understand the mood of the conversations in the ebb and flow of their words.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that it took me a moment to notice that, one, Dar'Zahyla had wandered off, and two, the Khajiit to my left was offering me a shallow wooden dish with a small pile of shredded beef with some sort of seasoning. "Kono taj," he said cheerfully. I suspected I must've looked confused, because he switched to Nordic: "Please, help yourself. Even Nords must admire and wish to celebrate the moons, yes?"

I smiled politely and accepted the plate. The Khajiit grinned and left to go back to tending the food with some others.

There were no utensils to be had. I glanced discreetly about to see other Khajiit with similar plates, eating with only their hands. I sighed softly—and then nearly jumped when Dar'Zahyla suddenly plopped down next to me. She needed to make more noise when she moved.

"Hello," she greeted cheerfully, lifting her mug to me. Evidently she'd had a little more wine than she should've. "Dar'Zahyla hopes you are enjoying yourself."

"It's certainly enlightening," I offered, plucking up a few scraps of meat for myself. It had an odd taste and texture to it, as though it had been caramelized in sugar—which, honestly, sounded about right. After a few bites, I decided that the combination of sweet and savory wasn't actually terrible after all.

Dar'Zahyla's brow quirked when she saw what I was eating. "Ah, my moon," she chuckled softly, "this one believes that may be a hint strong for you."

"Strong?" I echoed, popping in another mouthful. "Strong how?"

"Khajiit is..." She made a vague circular motion with her hand. "Uncertain of how crystallized moonlight affects Nords, hm?"

"Crystal—" It hit me then and I put the plate down. I leaned back on my hands. "Shit," I said.

Dar'Zahyla laughed at me. "Do not worry," she reassured me with a fangy grin. "There was little in that; if it affects you, it will only be a mild reaction."

I merely grunted out an "I hope you're right" and moved to get up. That's when the moon sugar hit me hard.

I fell back on my ass and lay there on the ground. Ripples of pleasure fluttered up and down my spine, drawing a breathy purr from my lips. They said raw moon sugar was one of the most addictive drugs out there, but now I could see why firsthand. I felt incredible—like stars were forming under my skin—like I was shrouded in the night sky. I quivered and mewled softly on the ground, and I should've been embarrassed at my behavior but several Khajiit had too lain down in fits of ecstasy, trembling and gasping in their sugar-induced highs.

Dar'Zahyla's familiar little chuckle caressed my ears, and I nearly moaned aloud to hear my Thane's voice. "A little strong for you after all," she purred in my ear, "yes?"

I reached out for her and she obediently slipped into my arms. She fit into my embrace perfectly, her young soft body melded into my rougher form. I was overwhelmed with a wave of affection for my Thane, then—a sense of fierce fealty, loyalty, love, something, a host of emotions for this young creature, this charge of mine.

"Lydia?" she said. My name on her tongue was too much to bear.

I kissed her.

She tasted every bit as sweet as I'd imagined, her whiskers tickling my jaw, green eyes wide with shock, fangs scarcely scraping my lower lip. I groaned against her and allowed the kiss to end, resting my forehead against hers. She still looked dazed at the suddenness of my move, and brought her fingers to her lips in wonder.

"Lydia?" she said again, voice husky now.

"How long does this go on?" I rumbled against her.

Dar'Zahyla cleared her throat. "Ah, till morning..." She hesitated. "But... We can leave earlier if, ah... If you would like."

My lips curled into a little smirk.

I'm not sure how much longer we stayed at the Khajiit gathering, nor how Dar'Zahyla managed to get us back to Candlehearth Hall in one piece.

All I recalled of the remainder of that night was the way Dar'Zahyla trembled as I sank my fingers into her, the sound of my name breathed out in desperation, the scent of her arousal, and the way her eyes fluttered shut in utter rapture beneath me.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it!! If you like the words I make, maybe consider backing me on Patreon or commissioning some more words from me? Links to both on my profile! :)


End file.
